The Iron Rose Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.0

The Iron Rose Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 5, 2025

Jean Rollin's "The Iron Rose" (1973) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films. The supplemental features on the release include archival material with Jean Rollin; recent program with actress Francoise Pascal; new audio commentary by novelist and critic Tim Lucas; archival promotional materials; and more. In French or English, with optional English and English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Jean Rollin’s The Iron Rose is one of only a few films that has forced me to change my mind several times. I very rarely change my mind. But if I do it, it is almost always because I discover new reasons to like films even more. However, The Iron Rose is one of three films that, after multiple viewings, has forced me to do the opposite -- discover new reasons to dislike it even more.

My first encounter with The Iron Rose was many years ago, during a semi-official retrospective, which was not organized with Rollin’s involvement. During the retrospective, only a couple of films were screened theatrically. The rest were shown on one of those unique front projection TVs that Sony had built in the 1980s, and a lot of places that screened difficult to track down foreign films in my neck of the woods had acquired. The Iron Rose was screened theatrically, and from what I remember, it did not look half as colorful as it does now on Indicator/Powerhouse Films’ 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray releases, both of which present an outstanding new 4K restoration of it.

Before I share more about my history with The Iron Rose, I would like to briefly summarize its story. In a provincial town, Young Man (Hugues Quester) approaches Young Woman (Francoise Pascal) and the two arrange a date. Some hours later, the two enter the town’s massive cemetery park, where Young Man carefully seduces Young Woman and they make love in an underground tomb. (How’s that for a romantic date?). However, by the time the fireworks end, the sun disappears, and a thick, spooky darkness covers the cemetery park. When Young Man and Young Woman realize that they have no idea how to get back, they panic, and then, after their fear begins dissolving into something else, they turn on each other.

The Iron Rose makes zero sense -- unless it is deconstructed in the same way Barbet Shroeder’s first two films are. More and The Valley are both about junkies in love who step into a strange new place, where they have trippy experiences that either reset their heads or kill them. The Valley is the more fluid and weird of the two, but both have legendary soundtracks by Pink Floyd, creating a genuinely special, difficult to forget atmosphere. Both have material where the junkies appear possessed, so their behavior is impossible to rationalize.

Because of Pink Floyd’s contribution, More and The Valley developed reputations as very trendy arty films, but the two also greatly appealed to real junkies and hippies. Rollin directed The Iron Rose a year after The Valley, and at the retrospective I mentioned earlier, The Valley was cited as its inspiration. I am unsure if this is true because over the years, while tracking down other Rollin films for my library and reading about them, I have not seen this relationship authenticated by reputable sources.

However, a lot that happens in The Iron Rose mimics what Schroeder does in The Valley. The romance, the head trips, the presence of death, the irreversible transformations. The Iron Rose also attempts to produce a similar, very heavy, difficult to forget atmosphere. Unfortunately, Rollin and Schroeder’s grasp and management of atmosphere are drastically different, and the latter is simply a vastly superior director.

I did not always dislike The Iron Rose as I do now. A few bits in it are shot rather well and have some of the fine atmosphere Rollin obviously wanted to dominate the narrative. However, repeated viewings reveal an undeniable struggle to control The Iron Rose, which ruins the character transformations and ultimately makes the entire trip to the cemetery park look unbearably pretentious.

The Iron Rose Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The Iron Rose arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Indicator/Powerhouse Films.

The release introduces an exclusive new 4K restoration of The Iron Rose sourced from the original camera negative. The 4K restoration is also made available on 4K Blu-ray.

I viewed the new 4K restoration in its entirety in native 4K. Later, I spent time with the 1080p presentation of it on this Blu-ray release. I tested various areas because I wanted to see what type of improvements were made. I have the previous Blu-ray release of The Iron Rose, which the Redemption Label produced in 2012, and referenced it as well.

The 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray releases offer equally satisfying upgrades in quality. The Iron Rose looks notably healthier and more vibrant now, and all of its visuals maintain solid density levels that are important when viewing content on a very large screen. On my system, the areas I tested revealed better delineation, clarity, and depth. Also, there are numerous improvements in the area of color reproduction, affecting saturation and balance. As I mentioned in our review of the 4K Blu-ray release, the new 4K restoration also expands select primaries and supporting nuances, and these improvements affect positively the already better dynamic range of the visuals. In case you are wondering, the difference is just as easy to appreciate in native 4K as it is in 1080p. There are no traces of problematic digital corrections. Image stability is very good. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

The Iron Rose Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this release: French DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0. Optional English (for the former) and English SDH (for the latter) subtitles are provided.

I viewed The Iron Rose in its entirety on 4K Blu-ray and then spent time with the 1080p presentation of it on this Blu-ray release. The comments below are from our review of the 4K Blu-ray release.

Because the main protagonists utter their lines in French, the French track is preferable. The English track utilizes dubbing that is largely incompatible with the type of atmosphere Jean Rollin wanted to dominate The Iron Rose.

The French track is very healthy. However, I have to immediately point out that the original sound design is pretty disappointing, so there really aren't any good dynamic contrasts. Also, while the French track is healthier than the one included on the first American Blu-ray release of The Iron Rose, in some areas it still produces thin, even anemic sound. Obviously, this is an inherited limitation. I did not encounter any dropouts, distortions, etc.

The Iron Rose Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary - this audio commentary was recorded by novelist and critic Tim Lucas.

• Introduction - in this archival program, Jean Rollin introduces The Iron Rose and links it to Requiem for a Vampire. In English, not subtitled. (2 min).

• Jean Rollin: Cemetery Gates - in this archival program, Jean Rollin explains how the idea for The Iron Rose came to exist. It was after he discovered the Madeleine Cemetery, located outside Amiens, which is supposed to be one of the biggest in Europe. In French, with English subtitles. (4 min).

• Les Nuits du cimetiere/Nights of the Cemetery - The Iron Rose - in this program, actress Natalie Perrey recalls her work with Jean Rollin on The Iron Rose and comments on his directing methods. Assistant director Jean-Noël Delamarre and screenwriter Alain Petit address The Iron Rose as well. In French, with English subtitles. (16 min).

• Francoise Pascal - in this archival program, actress Francoise Pascal explains how she was offered her part in The Iron Rose and discusses her character and the evolution of her behavior. Pascal also comments on Jean Rollin's working methods. In English, not subtitled. (22 min).

• Woman Is Free - in this program, Francoise Pascal discusses her background, acting career, and the type of parts she was attracted to. Pascal also recorded three disco hits, which she quickly addresses as well. In French, with English subtitles. (24 min).

• Kiss From a Rose - on April 7, 2018, Francoise Pascal attended a signing session at the Metaluna Store, Paris. Also in attendance were Jean Rollin collaborators Jean-Pierre Bouyxou, Jean-Noel Delamarre, and Serge Rollin. Footage from this event, shot by Christian Valor of the website Psychovision, is presented here. (3 min).

• Stephen Thrower: Children of the Grave - in this program, critic Stephen Thrower discusses The Iron Rose. In English, not subtitled. (31 min).

• Trailers -
  
  1. French Theatrical Trailer One
  2. French Theatrical Trailer Two
  3. International Trailer One
  4. International Trailer Two

• Image Gallery -
  
  1. Original Promotional Material
  2. Behind the Scenes
  3. Dialogue Continuity Script
  4. 'La Nuit de cimeriere' Prose Treatment

• The Yellow Loves - this early short film, inspired by Tristan Corbiere, was completed by Jean Rollin in 1958. It can be viewed with an optional audio commentary by Tim Lucas. In French, with English subtitles. (11 min).

• Book - an exclusive 80-page book with a new essay by Nick Pinkerton, an archival introduction by Jean Rollin, a reprint of Rollin's original 1972 scenario titled The Night of the Cemetery, an archival interview with Françoise Pascal, Jean Rollin on The Yellow Loves, an introduction to the poetry of Tristan Corbière, and technical credits.

The Iron Rose Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

In the late 1960s and 1970s, various directors shot arty counterculture films that quickly acquired cult status. The majority of the great ones that are still praised today were done on the other side of the Atlantic. Some directors then shot imitations of these films, in pretty much the same way certain Italian directors created copycats of Hollywood's blockbusters during the 1970s and 1980s. The Iron Rose is the artiest film in Jean Rollin's oeuvre, and if one spends enough time with it, one will inevitably realize that it does a lot of imitating. Many years ago, at a semi-official retrospective, it was linked to Barbet Schroeder's The Valley. I am unsure if there is a legitimate connection between these films, but they do a lot of things similarly. One of them is just a vastly superior film. Indicator/Powerhouse Films' Blu-ray release introduces an outstanding new 4K restoration of The Iron Rose, so if you have been waiting for a quality home video release of it to emerge, now you have one. (A separate 4K Blu-ray release is available for purchase as well).